This is why they post all of those warnings on roller coaster line entrance signs

Thakur D, Pocha M. Pneumothorax after a roller coaster ride. Arch Dis Child. 2006 May;91(5):421. No abstract available.

So riding a roller coaster can potentially cause your lung to deflate like a balloon. Now that's a ride!

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Roldan-Valadez E, Facha MT, Martinez-Lopez M, Herrera-Mora P. Subdural hematoma in a teenager related to roller-coaster ride. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2006 Jul;10(4):194-6. Epub 2006 Sep 1.

A subdural hematoma occurs when veins in your brain rupture for some reason (usually a head injury), resulting in blood pooling underneath your skull. The pressure created by the pooling blood can deform your brain.

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Schievink WI, Ebersold MJ, Atkinson JL. Roller-coaster headache due to spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak. Lancet. 1996 May 18;347(9012):1409. No abstract available.

A fluid leak sounds like a car problem and not a person problem. Ick.

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Pelletier AR, Gilchrist J. Roller coaster related fatalities, United States, 1994--2004. Inj Prev. 2005 Oct;11(5):309-12.

Approximately four people die every year in the United States due to a roller coaster-related injury. Given the abject stupidity of a good portion of humanity, I honestly figured it would be worse than that.

More like this

: Presse Med. 2000 Feb 5;29(4):175-80. Neurological complications after roller coaster rides: an emerging new risk? Kettaneh A, Biousse V, Bousser MG. Service de Médecine interne, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Bondy.

METHODS: We report 6 cases of complications occurring after roller-coaster rides and analyze published data. RESULTS: Complications seen our patients included 5 cervicoencephalic arterial dissections, one with brainstem dysfunction due to extending syringobulbia. Reported data include one cervicoencephalic arterial dissection, one case of carotid artery occlusion, 3 cases of subdural hematoma, one with subarachnoid hemorrhage, one with cerebrospinal fluid leak, and one with Brown-Séquard syndrome secondary to an enterogenous cyst of the spinal cord.

I don't know what syringobulbia is, but I'm glad I don't have it.

As funny as these are, it's important to remember that rollercoasters are pretty safe and you're a lot more likely to die driving to a theme park.

By Ben_Wraith (not verified) on 12 May 2008 #permalink